RANTAU PANJANG: The family of Muhammad Lailaltulman Mohd Sukri, one of the two navy men who died in the Sungai Wangi Unit detention room on Friday, are deeply overcome by their loss.
The family was dealt another blow today when they received news that 26-year-old Lailaltulman and fellow navy man Nik Muhammad Baihaqy Nik Mat, 28, may have died from being tortured.
"This really shocked me and my family,” said Lailal’s widow, Nur Liya Asmira Yahya.
“We did not believe this could happen to my husband. Earlier, we thought that he had died due to some illness. It never crossed our minds that they were both abused.
“How can a human being commit such cruelty to another human being? This cannot be accepted and we (the family) demand that police investigate this properly, and bring those guilty to justice," she said.
The 24-year-old clerk was speaking to reporters after her late husband’s burial ceremony in Pekan Rantau Panjang here on Sunday.
The mother of a 4-month-old daughter said it had been her husband's dream to become a successful navy man since he was a teenager.
Meanwhile, Baihaqy's sister, Nik Norliliwati, said her family is considering hiring a lawyer to help them in the case.
"When we saw his body early today, we suspected something bad had happened to him, as his neck (had been) bleeding.
"We are in the dark and still confused, as the authorities kept saying that there was no foul play in the case. (But then we heard news that) he had been tortured.
"We will leave it to the police to investigate the case. If they prove that my brother was abused, we will not hesitate to hire a lawyer to assist us in the case," said the 44-year-old from Limbat.